Taste of Birmingham festival axed
THE TASTE of Birmingham event has been scrapped five years after its launch.
Organiser Marketing Birmingham revealed the decision last night as it announced the launch of a new autumn food and drink festival.
Marketing Birmingham commercial director Ian Taylor said: “The Taste of Birmingham Festival raised the profile of the city over the last five years and helped increase our visitor numbers. However, we are now working with key partners in the city to develop a new food festival that meets the changing demands of consumers looking for new culinary experiences. This festival will take the place of, and build on the success of Taste of Birmingham.”
Taste of Birmingham was brought to the city in 2006 by event management company Brand Events, who ran similar ‘Tastes’ in London and other cities around the world. Marketing Birmingham took over lead responsibility for the event two years ago.
Taste was held in Cannon Hill park over three or four days each summer. Participating restaurants served sample menus to visitors, and local producers ran stalls at the event. Visitor numbers were often hit by poor weather and the location away from the city centre was criticised, as well as the level of entry prices.
The new festival will be more accessible, it is believed, and will be held over more locations for a longer period.
David Colcombe, of Birmingham’s Opus Restaurant, said: “Birmingham’s outstanding food and drink scene deserves to be celebrated and this new festival aims to do just that. Quality and fine dining are important in changing the perceptions some people have about the city and its culinary offering. Promoting the breadth and brilliance of the city’s food with this festival, which will be based in and around the whole of the city, will help drive more visitors here and help them enjoy all that Birmingham has to offer.”
Ray Linforth, Chief Executive at University College Birmingham, said: “Birmingham has a rich pool of culinary talent coming through the ranks at University College Birmingham and the new food festival will help showcase this next generation and their potential to make the city a global culinary hotspot.”
